Applause

I would like to take a minute and publicly thank Fort Lupton High School boys basketball coach Kerry Brunton for a job well done.

Brunton informed his players he would not be returning next season for personal reasons. The Tri-Valley Conference has truly lost one of the classiest coaches around. My son has had the pleasure of being involved with the Bluedevil basketball program and Brunton for three seasons. Mike has not only learned the game of basketball but has learned important lessons in life.

The entire coaching staff has worked hard to bring the best out of the players. I have seen players with a lot of ability and those less gifted all work to improve under Brunton’s tutelage. I believe Brunton has that rare talent as a coach to see the potential of a young man and work to help the boys see that potential in themselves.

When my son discusses his plans for college and beyond he says, “I want to be a teacher and a coach, like coach Brunton.” There may not be a state championship banner hanging in the gym at Fort Lupton High School for boys basketball, but I believe there are championship banners hanging in the hearts of the young men he has influenced all these years.

Carrie Adams

Longmont

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Last May, Leanna’s Closet opened as a project of The Women’s Fund. The mission of Leanna’s Closet is to provide clothing for women entering or re-entering the work force. It is named for Leanna Anderson, a Greeley businesswoman who died too young but who was always willing to support women in reaching their dreams.

In the last year we have provided clothing, shoes, accessories and haircuts for more than 300 women. They have been referred to us by Social Services, A Woman’s Place, Victims Advocates, Room at the Inn, local churches and 15 other Weld County agencies. Our goal has been to assist each one of our clients with self-esteem.

All of this could not have happened without the help of so many others.

The management of the Greeley Mall has given us great support, as well as many of the merchants at the mall. Kendall Printing, State Farm Insurance, NuWay Cleaners, Payless Shoe and the Brass Heart are among the many businesses that helped us in our first year.

But our volunteers really make Leanna’s Closet work. Under the organized leadership of Michele Vetting, volunteers have been scheduled to assistant clients, accept donations and maintain an attractive environment. Our volunteers have given hundreds of hours to Leanna’s Closet.

To celebrate our first year, we will have an open house from 2-6 p.m. Tuesday at Leanna’s Closet, 1848 Greeley Mall Annex.

Jeannine Shadwick

Jil Rosentrater

Greeley

What a remarkable month the Child Advocacy Resource and Education agency has had! Although we have seen steady increases in challenges for families during this social and economic climate, our community has embraced our work with gifts of time, money and support.

More than 2,000 were in attendance at the annual Northern Colorado Children’s Festival where c.a.r.e. was among the many booths, providing fun activities for families to do together.

Many were also in attendance at the annual Light of Hope Ceremony on April 3 on the Weld County Courthouse steps. At this annual event sponsored by the Weld County Child Abuse Coalition and facilitated by United Way, we lit almost 400 luminarias, representing the children in Weld County in foster care.

We were privileged to have a flag ceremony by Boy Scouts Troop 809, choral selections from the Greeley Children’s Chorale and help setting up from the Restitution Program at Partners and sound equipment from True North.

Those present heard a moving speech from Magistrate Dinsmore Tuttle as we recognized foster parents and children, all to kick off Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Thanks to the many Greeley merchants who agreed to house our “c.a.r.e. Bear” on their counters for the month of April, and a big thanks to all the shoppers who dropped in their pocket change “to make a change in the life of a child”.

Finally, and most remarkably, our 15th annual Union Colony Bank Taste of Weld County was a rousing success, raising almost $35,000 to aid us in our mission to strengthen families through child-abuse prevention. We were blessed with more sponsors, restaurants and attendees than ever before. Proceeds from this event are crucial to our agency programs and we thank everyone who sponsored, donated, sold or purchased a ticket, told a friend, served or prepared food, decorated, sang, danced, ate or cleaned up.